James Putzel is a Professor of Development Studies and Director of the Crisis States Research Centre at the LSE.
His research focus has been on agrarian reform, social capital, political economy of development and crisis and fragile states.
It was a broad research initiative funded by a grant from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) from 2000-2010.
The Centre produced a number of articles, chapters, policy briefings, and other communications dealing with the origins, political economy, and mitigation of conflictual governance and violence.
There was collaboration around the world and, at LSE, some of the core participants were Teddy Brett, Tim Allen, David Keen, Jonathan DiJohn, Dennis Rodgers and Jean-Paul Faguet.